Program and Student Learning Outcomes

Overview of Learning Outcomes Assessment in Student Affairs at Purdue University

The purpose of doing outcome assessment at Purdue is to communicate expectations for student learning in our academic and co-curricular programs, and to map the paths students may take for acquiring the knowledge, skills, and values. It is a framework for classifying statements of intended learning outcomes that students can expect to achieve as a result of participaion in programs and courses. Assessment gives us the insight in to whether our students are meeting our expectations for learning and how well their cumulative learning experiences are helping them meet these expectations.

In order to make learning assessment at Purdue sustainable, the work began with our distinct programs within Student Affairs. Each program (whether curricular or co-curricular) defines and assesses its own intended learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are aligned with the CAS Domains and Dimensions, the Purdue Embedded Learning Outcomes in the Purdue Core Curriculum, and both the Student Affairs and Purdue University strategic plan.

Methodology

Though each student affairs program undertakes this process in ways specific to their own field and professional standard requirements, all are connected by common learning goals that reinforce both Student Affairs and Purdue’s mission and identity. The introduction of the Purdue Core Competencies has helped us to unite our Student Affairs program and student learning outcomes with our longstanding traditions of academic excellence and student engagement.

While mapping the co-curriculum and planning to assess student learning was new work to some units, others had been engaged in this work for some time and were poised to take the lead in developing effective methods for learning outcomes assessment. To support the work of these programs and to develop assessment models and expertise across the division, we arrived at the use of the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) domains and dimensions to document our outcomes.

The use of CAS provides us with a framework against which the departments within the Division of Student Affairs can record both their program and student learning outcomes.

The P28 Experience

The Division of Student Affairs at Purdue seeks to heighten and support student learning. Students will experience programs and activities intentionally designed to acquire and apply knowledge, develop interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, engage globally, and gain practical competence.

You can discover what learning opportunities are available by clicking here.